


Tragic Backstory

by putconspiraciesinit



Category: 19th Century CE RPF, Hamilton - Miranda, Historical RPF, Political RPF - US 19th c.
Genre: Anvilicious, Author Commentary, Backstory, Bad Writing, Character Study, Gen, Hamilton Critical, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Rants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 10:22:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20946767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/putconspiraciesinit/pseuds/putconspiraciesinit
Summary: this is literally just my thoughts on why hamilton in the musical is badly writtenbut like, in the form of a ficwith no real plot besides burr snapping and tearing a fucking strip off hamiltoncan be read as the historical figures or as the characters from the musical





	Tragic Backstory

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I am NOT saying that everyone who likes the Hamilton musical is [insert any negative adjective here] or that the entire musical is objectively Bad and everybody should hate it. I just have a lot of opinions on tragic backstories and how they should and shouldn't be written.  
Posting this was swinging a bat at a hornet's nest but someone had to say it so like.....shrug emoji!

“You just wouldn’t understand, would you? How it feels to live with this  _ anger _ . Your family were wealthy. Hell, you  _ had _ a  _ family _ ! I had to get a job at  _ fourteen _ to make ends meet,” yelled Hamilton. “ _ I _ had nobody!”

Burr’s eye twitched. He took a deep breath.

“Mr. Hamilton, I--”   
“Tell me why I should listen to you, hm? What would you know about struggling? About suffering?”   
“I am not going to divulge sensitive personal information to a man who runs a tabloid, Mr. Hamilton.”

“What could be  _ sensitive _ about--”

“Sir, let’s say for the sake of argument that your impression of my early life is entirely correct. I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, raised in an ivory tower, by loving and nurturing relatives who bought me everything I wanted because we were rich and they could do that. That I was entirely spoiled and have never wanted for anything in my life. The way you behave is  _ still _ abominable! What, do you think that suffering earns you the inalienable right to treat others like the dirt beneath your feet? You had a difficult childhood, so now you are allowed to take out all that pent-up anger on everybody unfortunate enough to cross your path and we are simply going to have to deal with that because we’ve not suffered enough to earn the right to ask you to have an  _ ounce _ of compassion? Maria Reynolds grew up poor and was married off to a violent raging drunkard when she was fifteen, was that not enough distress to meet your requirements? You certainly had no qualms taking advantage of her and then throwing her to the dogs to save face when you thought there was a chance you might be held accountable, so I suppose  _ her _ tragic upbringing simply does not count.”

Hamilton looked at Burr as though he were some sort of apparition.

“What on Earth’s gotten into you, Colonel?”

“You are not the main protagonist, the point-of-view character, of the entire world, Mr. Hamilton! The way you treat everybody you meet as some sort of supporting character only there to develop  _ your _ story somehow--the way you act like everything happens to you and everybody else is somehow irrelevant and lesser, like nobody else is real, nobody else has conscious  _ thoughts _ and  _ feelings _ , like you are the only human being on the face of the Earth--it is ridiculous! People who dislike you dislike you because you are unpleasant, and rude, and manipulative, and aggressive, and  _ mean _ ! Not because we are all evil bullies who simply don’t  _ understand _ you and how rough your childhood was. You cannot maintain an all-take-no-give relationship with the entire world forever and keep telling yourself that all who object are antagonists you now have to destroy. I, for one, am  _ through _ with sitting back and taking it. Give me one reason why I should kowtow to you and let you have your way with me, sir! One reason that does not even so much as  _ mention _ your dead mother or deadbeat father or lack of financial security several decades ago! Or, better yet, give me  _ one _ reason why any of those things entitle you to write the sorts of things you write about me!”

“Burr--”   
“Don’t. Because the answer is,  _ they do not _ . The world doesn’t  _ owe _ you subservience and favors because you suffered as a child. You are simply an entitled sociopath. Good  _ day _ , sir.”


End file.
